Back in the Saddle

So today I am finally getting back into the saddle. I am trying out StoryBook (the free version) with my current WIP. After I have used it for a little while I will review it here.

I am working on outlining and hope to get to putting down some words soon. I have a start for the first chapter - but it needs a little polish.

Since this is my first ever middle grade project I am also doing some research. I checked out some books from the library that would interest my target audience. Check out may currently reading shelf of GoodReads to keep track of what I am reading.

I have also had a few idea's for blog posts. Hopefully I will have a chance to get those written soon. But for now it is on to writing fiction.

What are you working on today?

I Have a Plan

I am a planner. My plans of back plans, and there are back up plans for my back up plans. It is just part of who I am.

So, of course I have a drafting and revision plan for my latest WIP - Three of Ivory (TOI). Since this is only my second novel, I am still finding a process that works for me. I felt like my drafting and revision plan for Shadowed Stones (SS) was a little to... undefined. With TOI I am trying something different.

Here is my plan:

1. First Draft
   a. Write 2 pages every week day
   b. Every three chapters do a high level edit and fill in any details I skipped over.
   c. When finished: Once over of entire manuscript.
2. Second Draft
   a. Turn it over to my critique partners - or alpha readers.
   b. Incorporate any necessary changes.
   c. When all critiques are in: Once over of entire manuscript.
3. Third Draft
   a. Turn it over to my beta readers.
   b. Incorporate any necessary changes.
   c. When all critiques are in: Once over of entire manuscript.

Done.

So, this is my plan to have TOI done in three drafts. I may add another draft either between the second and third, or after the third we will see how it goes. I am also considering having my critique group look at my first draft before I have finished writing the whole thing. It depends on how I am feeling about the first draft - and how long it takes them to finish SS.

Do you have a drafting and revision process? Or do you think I am just going over the top with the whole planning thing?

The Amazing Me

Warning: Sappiness ahead!

So... I have been feeling a little down this week. It might have something to do with the fact that I just got back from an amazing vacation in Texas, and I am really missing it.

So yesterday I thought - I should blog about how awesome I am!

I normally don't usually praise myself. But here are a few amazing things about myself.

• Just had my mid year review at my day job - and got no negative feed back. Score!
• I finally finished my query letter for Shadowed Stones. Yea!
• I started tackling the outline for Shadowed Stones. And although I am a little overwhelmed by it - I am pushing forward.
• I decided to cut my 5 book series to 3 books for Three of Ivory - because I think it will give the series more impact.
• I have amazing friends! (Stay tuned for tomorrows post because I got an award and will be passing it on to some of these friends!)
• I have read two books this month and am trying to read 4 more.

So yes I am amazing! But you know what - there is something else. After going to the monthly meeting of my local writers group. I realized something important. When I am feeling down thinking of how amazing I am does not lift my spirits as much as thinking of how amazing the people I know are.

My writers group is amazing. They make me feel so.... welcome. Like I belong. That is a BIG deal for me. My family moved about every 2 years when I grew up. So I never really felt like I belong anywhere - except for my family and with my husband. So fitting into a group and belonging is huge for me.

Not only that! But I have a great group of followers here on my blog. Connecting with all of you has really helped me realize my worth as a writer. Thank you so much for your support!

So now I have a request. Check out the other people that follow me, and the other authors in my local writers group and see just how amazing they are!

Thanks for letting me be sappy for a bit! It has been that kind of week for me. What kind of week are you having? Tell me how you, or someone you know is amazing - I would love to hear it!

P.S. Want to join my blog roll? Just leave a comment!

Goal Update

First, here are a few links:

• Blog Hop
• The Mighty Pen Contest
• Vote for my Short Story

Next, here are some updates on my goals:

• Finished reading both of my books for this month. Have three picked out to read for next month.
• I am struggling with the query letter for Shadowed Stones, so I am going to move on to writing the outline for now.
• The world building for TOI is going well. I am almost ready to move on to the characters.

And finally, how I build worlds.

First of all, the map. I usually always have a map. Sometimes the map comes later in the world building. Sometimes it is very detailed sometimes it is just a sketch. The map for Shadowed Stones is very detailed. The map for Three of Ivory is really just a sketch right now.

Related to the map are the countries, governments and cultures. For the countries I usually have a name, and I also like to sketch the flag. I also identify the type of government and a little bit of the social classes. Trade and industry are often details I include. Hmm, what else? Oh, I also like to make a list of common physical attributes, name the language, and naming conventions for naming people and places.

Also, in worlds where there is magic - I setup the system of magic. What it can and cannot do. How to use it. Who can use it. And so on.

Next step: Character Bios.

A Late Update

Sorry this post is so late. I have two very good reasons for the delay.

1. I was waiting to see if I won the short story contest I won over at Splintered Lands. The winners were supposed to be announced today.
2. I was having issues connecting to the internet with my laptop.

Here is a quick update on where I am with my goals.

I am about 80% finished with reading Tarranau

I wrote my first query letter for Shadowed Stones, discarded it a wrote a second. I am giving it time to simmer before I go back to it. I plan to work on the outline next. Check out the tab above "From Pen to Published" for updates on my journey toward publication.

I have started cracking down and working Three of Ivory. I downloaded a program that looks to be really cool for creating maps. If it turns out I like it I will post and let you know about it.

I finally decided which old favorite I want to read. I decided on The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. The first book is called The Book of Three. Now I just have to go dig it out of a box in the basement.

Stay tuned for tomorrow post where I will reveal the story behind getting engaged to my husband two weeks after our first date!

How about you? How are your goals going?

If Want Something Done...

You have to do it!

Confession: I totally tanked on my goals this week.

But I did realized something this week. I spend lots of time stressing about trying to get everything done. Work, chores, cooking, exercising, taking care of my dear husband, writing, and staying sane. One morning I woke up and realized something. If I took all that worry energy and put it into doing things - I would get a lot done!

I know you are think: Uh, Krista that is so obvious! Or maybe you are like me and this is a revelation. Either way - this is something that I struggle with every day.

So, although I did not do well on my goals this week - I am going to do better next week.

Here are some of the things I did get done this week.

I finished looking through WritersMarket.com for more publishers. I expected to find like 30-40 publishers. But I found considerably less than that. Probably because I am going the agent-less route. So my attempt to be published on my own may be short lived. However, I am not giving up hope.

I read 40% percent of Tarranau by James Tallett.

I played around with making a Google gadget that would like you use custom images for a status tracker. Like mine on the side bar but easier to manage. I am currently working on trying to test it and get it up where others can use it.

I would love to hear about your success! Even if it is small, like I cooked dinner for my husband tonight! Let me hear what you have done to succeed this week.

My Goals

As promised (although late - its a long story that involves a flat tire and waiting for a tow truck) here are my goals. I plan to put up meters on my blog to track my progress.

Because of the state my projects are in, these are going to be general deadline type goals until I can get to a point where I can set finer, weekly goals.

Writing: Three of Ivory, a fantasy series

• 1. Complete world building and overview series outline by end of August.
• 2. Complete character related pre-work (work sheets and so on) by end of September.
• 3. Complete detailed outline of the first book by the end of October.
• 4. Begin first draft in October.

Publishing: Shadowed Stones, a fantasy novel

• 1. Research 10 publishers a week.
• 2. Finish researching publishers by August 20th (no more research after this date!)
• 3. Have a detailed submission plan by the end of August.
• 4. Send out first submission by the end of September.
• 5. Keep up with beta reader edits - finish last round of edits by end of year.

Reading: I have two goals with my reading. First, re-read some of my all time favorites (and review them on good reads). Second, help support other authors that are either new and upcoming, indie or self published, or who I meet or hear about through the electronic grape vine.

• 1. Read one book from my to-re-read list every month.
• 2. Read one book from a new upcoming/indie/web sphere author every month.

More to Come

This is just a quick post to let you know that I am still here and still working on my projects.

The progress has not been great. I did finish my entry for the Splintered Lands contest and now I am anxiously awaiting the entry deadline date (August 15th). Then I can start anxiously awaiting word :)

Since my productivity has been so low I have decided to setup goals for each of my projects (Shadowed Stones and Three of Ivory) as well as for reading (which I sorely miss).

Tonight I am going to settle on these goals and then post them so that you can all help me stick to it. I would be open to any advice on how to set and keep goals for writing and reading!

How about you? How are your projects coming? Do you use goals to keep yourself on track?

P.S. News flash - just received my first blog award from my good blog friend Krista M. So check out my Saturday post to read all about it!

I Know You, A Poem

Here is a little funny poem I wrote.

I Know You

I know you, Carrie.

Your husbands name is Frank.

You have three kids...

Tommy who is in Troop 767, he's your good little scout.

Sally, she likes ballet.

Your proud of your honor student at Jackson Elementary.

Your family likes to Ski.

Your sassy, and proud of it.

You like dogs, and have a little puppy - Dover.

Your a democrat, and voted for Obama in '08

Yes, I know you.

Though we have never met.

How do I know all this?

From staring at the back of your car,

For 30 seconds,

Waiting at a traffic light.

Still think that - 'I honk for vampires' - bumper sticker is a good idea?

Special Update Post

Sorry for the extra post today! Just wanted to share a little of my success.

This week turned out not to be a total loss! I just finished my entry for the Splintered Lands writing contest. I am really proud of the way the story turned out. Hopefully the editorial team at Splintered Lands will enjoy it.

Another bit of good news. I finished the slight re-writes to Shadowed Stones. I am going to send them to my beta reader Roseanne to see if the additions meet with her approval.

I believe in the old adage - "All's well, that ends well." So I officially declare this to be a good week!

I hope all of you find some little piece of success somewhere along the way!

The Progress I have made.... 0

I regret to report that I have not made much progress on any of my projects this week.

Shadowed Stones: I am re-working a few of the chapters in the last quarter of the book. I am trying to inject more of a love story based on a beta readers suggestions. Hoping it turns out well.

Three of Ivory: Nothing. I have been thinking of things in my head. And I did take a crack at drawing a map. But the map does not fit with some of the things I want with the story. So I am going to file that away and try again.

Splintered Lands contest entry: Hit a wall. Got right up to the climax of the story and then... nothing. I think I am feeling a little gun shy because it is emotionally charged. And I already know I have to re-work the middle. The deadline is approaching and I really need to get working

So I give myself a B for effort, but my actual grade for this week - F.

The good news is I can only go up from here!

How are your projects going?

Monday Madness

So... there is no winner of The Mighty Pen award this week due to lack of entries. As a result I find myself with an empty post slot. I thought I would take advantage and talk a little bit about my method of operation. (Or at least, the method I plan to use for my next WIP Three of Ivory.)

In high school I read several books on writing. I am working on compiling a list of the books that most impacted me and will post them when I have it. During this time I explored my voice and the structure of how I write. In writing Shadowed Stones I learned many different things. My writing method is a combination of everything I have learned thus far.

1. The idea. I get all different kinds of ideas from all different sources. Sometimes I draw a map and then start imagining what the world is like. Some times I get an idea about an element of a society or a form of magic. But the most common ideas I get are about characters. I try to keep track of all the little snatches of ideas I get because I often pull them into my WIP or combine them to complete a full thought. Once I have an idea I mull it over in my mind to see if it is something I want to work on.
2. Planning. I alternate between the two tasks below until I have enough of a foundation to start building my outline.
   • The World: This includes maps, laws of magic, creatures, culture and so on. The idea is to flesh out enough of the details of the world where the story takes place so that I can fully understand the environment of the characters.
   • The Story: I think of characters and how they interact and are related and how they fit into the world. This is where the first glimmers of my outline start to appear. At this point I don't keep to a chronological sequence. I just let the ideas for scenes and characters flow.
3. The outline. I do a scene by scene outline. (To me a scene is a full section starting and ending with some kind of break.) I did not divide Shadowed Stones into chapters until my second draft was finished. I plan to divide Three of Ivory into chapters at the outline stage. This gives me the road map of the entire story. I like having a tight outline because it better helps me work in foreshadowing and so on.
4. Write. I write from start to finish. This helps me keep the flow of the book going. When I wrote the first part of Shadowed Stones, I actually divided out the scenes for each of my view point characters and wrote them in sequence - then spliced them together. Not sure if I will do this with Three of Ivory or not. The splicing together was very difficult.
5. Revise. This is the final step I take before attempting publication. And I do several revolutions of it. I always do one revision/proof read before sending to beta readers. I then revise based on the feedback I get. I have found that for me, it is difficult to put more detail in with a revision. So I try to get as much on paper to start with.

What about you? What is your method of writing?

Friday Update

First of all, welcome to all my new followers, hope you enjoy!

Just thought I would update you on the things I am working on:

• Splintered Lands writing contest entry: 2,500 words of (at least) 4,000. Half way through according to my outline. Entries are due August 15th.
• Shadowed Stones: I have not gotten much research done on publishers to submit to. And *gasp* I haven't started writing my query letter or summary or anything. I have however started work on a digital version of my 10 year old hand drawn map.
• Three of Ivory (WIP): Nothing concrete on paper yet. I have been working on fleshing out my characters in my mind. Can't wait to finish up some of the other things on my plate so I can get back to working on it.
• Critique Group: Caught up with Roseanne in reading her current WIP "Change of Heart" - totally left me hanging and can't wait to read more. Anxiously awaiting the chance to read Jen's "Earth Song" - read the first chapter and it hooked me. Now have to wait for her to finish her next draft.

Keeping up with everything is getting to be a little daunting, but I don't mind. I enjoy being busy and am loving writing again. I do have a question for all of you. Do you like the title Shadowed Stones?

Publication Update - Special Post

I just thought I would let you know how things are going with my road to publication.

Right now I am researching publishers, then I will move on to agents. I am compiling a list of publishers that take unsolicited manuscripts. My sources? So far Amazon.com. I looked up the 100 top Fantasy books and looked at their publishers. I also looked at other fantasy books and their publishers.I am a little wary of The Writers Market because of some reviews I have read lately. Anyone a subscriber?

My goal was to have a list of 10 publishers to submit to. My list is at 10 now and I am still researching. That is encouraging. Once I have finished compiling my list I am going to research the books that each publishes to make sure Shadowed Stones would be a good fit.

Then it is on to preparing my submission packets. I plan to allow one re-submission (in case the first gets lost) for each. If nothing turns up at the end of that I will turn to looking for an agent.

P.S. Also in my search I found this good article: So You Want To Publish Your SF Fantasy. It listed a few publishers that I checked out.

I Have Made a Decision

So, one of my awesome beta readers for Shadowed Stones (Roseanne) suggested that since the story is finished I should start sending out query letters. Unless of course I wanted to self-publish. That got me thinking.

My first thought was - after so many years of dreaming about being at this point I am here! Followed by alternating waves of excitement and fear.

Then I thought, traditional or self publishing. Which one? I considered self-publishing and did some research. My decision?

Traditional Publishing.

Why? Because this is my very first novel. And I feel a little overwhelmed by the thought of self-publishing right now.

This of course does not mean I won't self-publish later. I just don't think I am ready yet.

Well, that's it. My decision is to focus on traditional publishing for Shadowed Stones.

WIP Update and Other Wonderful Stuff

First of all I would like to do two things:

1. Say "Welcome!" to all my new followers!
2. Say "Thanks!" to my primary beta readers for Shadowed Stones Jen and Roseanne

I have Shadowed Stones out to beta readers now and plan to start working on compiling some query letters (*cringe/squeal*).

I haven't had much time this week to work on Three of Ivory. The good news is I got a lot of background work done over the long weekend. I have, however, been thinking about my three main characters.

That leads me to some feedback I would like to get from all of you. Two of my MC's are from a distant foreign land. I want to set them apart from the others in a subtle way. Do you think an uncommon eye color and skin tone (for the country the book takes place in) will set them apart enough?

My Next Project

I have come to the decision to go ahead with TOI as my next project. I have been so enraptured with my background work that I cannot imagine working on something else. The runner up for my next project, TCOM - will most likely still be written. It is a captivating idea, but is very similar to the book I just finished writing and I would like to do something a little different.

Yeah!

So now that I have selected my next project I am going to reveal its working title. Note that I have also added it to the From My Pen tab.

Three of Ivory

In my post Three Words #1, I mentioned that a friend of mine gave me a list of three words to write a story off of. (Snake, Ring, Bubble) This story grew out of that list. I have a few short pieces I wrote based on this idea. I may post them some day if I can find them in my story box.

Every Friday I will post updates on how the work is going.

Question: I have the name of two of my characters but am not sure about the third. Is Kell to common of a name? It seems very familiar to me.

P.S.
Normally on Monday's I plan to post the winner of The Mighty Pen award - however, I took care of that yesterday. (And the Winner is...)

Where to from here?

For the past few months I have been iching to start my next writing project. I told myself I had too finish my novel first. Now it is "finished" and I can start something else.

Yeah!

Wait. I am having the hardest time finding my next project. Don't get me wrong, I have hundreds of ideas, it is just hard to find the right one to work on.

I think I have it narrowed down to 2 possible projects. Let's call them TCOM and TOI. (Don't want to give the working titles away just yet ;)

They are both fantasy and both ideas that have been floating around in my head since highschool. My plan is to spend one week each on developing the ideas further and see where I stand.

This up coming week I am going to work on TOI and report back on how it went.

Do you think it is bad to work on two novels at once? And how do you choose what to write next?

Three Words #1

An old friend of mine, Erin, and I used to play this games that I know as three words. The way it works is you get a list of three words and have to write a story that incorporate those three things. One such activity gave rise to a very interesting story idea that is currently in the running for being my next project. I liked this exercise so much I thought I would share with all of you.

Here is how it will work. I will post three words and anyone who would like to, can post their stories (or snippets or summaries if you wish).

You can also post a list of three words for me and others to use. I will choose one (or more) of the lists posted by others and write my own story which I will post the following Wednesday.

Since I don’t have three words from last week – I am going to use the same list my friend Erin gave me years ago and write a short piece for you.

Three Words

• Staff
• Harp
• Belt

Flash Fiction

Using the Three Words: Ring, Bubble, Snake

The snake’s eyes gleamed in the faint light. She froze with her hand outstretched. Dare she approach? Every fiber of her being screamed to run, to pull away, escape. She could not. All her hopes for success lay there, just beyond the coiled serpent.

It lunged for her and she withdrew her hand narrowly escaping a deadly bite. She rubbed her hand relieved to be unharmed. Her fingers brushed against the red stone of her ring. She looked down at it.

"If only…" She mused to herself. Imagining the snake recoiling from a wall of flames. The red gem flashed and she felt a warmth against her face. Looking up, she saw a wall of fire between her and the snake. The snake hissed at her and then drew back leaving the way clear for her.

A small laugh of joy and relief bubbled up from her throat. Cautiously she slipped passed the wall of fire and the angry snake. Reaching the far end of the hall she slipped through the heavy wooden door she found there.

"Safe." She breathed with relief.

My Friend Jen

Let me take a minute and put in a plug for my good friend Jen. If you haven't already, check out her awesome blog.


Jen is a great friend. She encouraged me to start this blog, so you can blame her for my insane ranting :)
I am not sure she knows this, but she also played a part in getting me writing again. I am very grateful for that. Writing keeps me balanced and I enjoy it so much.


A little while back Jen started a blog about her journey to write a book. I started following it because of course I wanted to support her. I think everyone has at least one book in them and they should write it. Reading about her struggles and successes and talking to her about writing made me want to write again. So I made the push and last week finished the second draft of my first novel. And my ten year journey has finally come to (somewhat) of an end. 


Now I am getting ready to start my next writing project, and it is largely in part to Jen's encouragement and support.


Jen, you rock!